Family Bonds
by Biiryu
Summary: Keitaro has always had a fondness for his aunt/cousin.
1. Chapter 1

**Love Hina **

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Love Hina. Love Hina and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1999-2004 Ken Akamatsu/Mixx Entertainment Inc. Love Hina is a trademark of TOKYOPOP®. All rights reserved. _

**Chapter 1**

One warm day, in Hinata City, a young man walks up a flight of stone stairs. He wipes the sweat off his face and continues upward. His name is Keitaro Urashima, a nineteen year-old whose fate would unknowingly change when he reaches his destination. A sigh escapes him, as his mind wanders.

He was a clumsy guy who thought the gods took amusement to his misfortunes. He wasn't very athletic, not very handsome, and had no special talents. To him, he was just not attractive. Worst of all, his grades were terrible. In all of his subjects, he did very poorly.

Growing up, whenever he was called to answer a question, he would always get it wrong and everyone made fun of him. His misfortune, as well as his damaged self-esteem, would then result to his current situation.

After taking his entrance exams twice...and failing twice, his parents had had enough. They kicked him out of the house. Now, like both definitions of the word, he was a *ronin. After getting kicked out, he wandered around Kanagawa. While walking in a park, he tripped over his own feet. He rubbed his head and started picking up his now scattered stuff. He was almost done, except for his scrapbook...Ah yes, his scrapbook...evidence of his loneliness.

As he reached for the book, a gust of wind blew open the book and stopped on one page. A smile crept upon his face, as he picked it up and looked at the page. There was only one photo in it...a picture of the only girl to ever take a picture with him...his Aunt Haruka. It was one of his fondest memories. After a few minutes of smiling at the photo, realization finally dawned upon him. His eyes widen, as an idea came to his mind. Hence, his trek up this almost endless flight of stairs.

As he reached the base of the hill, as his luck would have it, he tripped over his own feet. Instead of feeling the embrace of the stone ground, however, he felt something soft. When he opened his eyes, he noticed a familiar face.

It had been years since he last saw her, but she still looked as beautiful as ever. Her hair looked the same as when she was younger, except it was a bit longer. She had short, brown hair and warm, brown eyes. Her skin was fair, and her face was more beautiful, since he last saw her; yet, for some reason it was flushed with a red hue. Her eyes showed a mix of emotions: surprise, happiness, and then for some reason, anger?

When he snapped back to reality, he noticed why his landing felt soft and warm. His eyes widened as he quickly got up. He stammered an apology. "I-I-I'm really s-s-sorry Aunt Haruka! It was an accident, I swear!" Haruka pulled a paper fan out of nowhere and hit him on hard o the head. "Call me Haruka!" she says irritably.

Haruka Urashima was enjoying the warm day, sweeping her cafe. It was a quiet day, though, for no customers had arrived. It was not the time for the lunch rush yet, so it was understandable. Though, it was rare to see no customers at this time. Usually, she would at least have a few, but not today. She shrugged it off and continued with her task, while smoking her ever-present cigarette.

Haruka is a patient, tolerant person. Growing up, she was not the most social, but she was reliable. She was a listener, and only spoke when the time was right. Often, she comes off as a cold person who doesn't care. Her poker face makes it difficult for anyone to read her thoughts. However, under that mask is a wise, caring woman.

Her wisdom comes from her world experiences. She has seen many places, met people, and went on many adventures. After all that, however, she decided to peacefully run her cafe. To balance out her peaceful life, she was also appointed as the house mother and landlady of the Hinata Sou. The girls were quite something.

All her life ambitions were almost fulfilled. She graduated from Tokyo University, had a successful business, and experienced parts of the world. There were only a few things that she desired. One of those desires are to share her life with someone. Sure, she could live either way, single or not...but it would be nice.

During her college years, she befriended Seta Noriyasu and Julia McDougal. The trio traveled the world and embarked on many adventures. She knew Seta loved both Julia and her, but Haruka did not return his feelings. What became of their relationship is a story for another time.

After completing her task, seeing that she would have no customers for awhile, she went to her to room to retrieve her newspaper. After she picked up the desired item, her eyes drifted to a scrapbook lying beneath said item. She had time to spare, so she took a walk down memory lane.

There were various photos from her past...each one, a memory. There were many photos: One taken at Tokyo U, one outside the Hinata Sou with the girls, one with Granny, one when she was a child, and many with Seta and Julia. As she flipped through page after page, a content expression graced her face.

When she arrived at the last page, a smile crept up her face. There were three photos. All three had Haruka and Keitaro in them. One was when Keitaro first stayed at the Hinata Sou. She was a teenager working at the inn, while he was a child. That was the first time he called her, "Aunty Haruka." The second picture had them standing in front of the Hinata, smiling and holding hands. The third was taken on the deptature of Keitaro and his parents. She remembered that day as the saddest one, for that was the day she mostly cried. The photo showed the two embracing each other. That was the last time she saw him.

A single tear fell on the photo. That memory was the saddest. She held back the other tears that were threatening to escape her eyes and composed herself. She shook off the memory and closed the book. She retrieved her newspaper and went back to the cafe. Looking around, there were still no customers in sight. She sighed and decided to check on the girls. She hung out a sign that said that she'd be back and stepped outside.

As she was about to ascend the stairs, she felt herself lose balance as someone or something fell on top of her. The pain was gone as fast as she received it. However, she felt a hand grope her chest and her anger flared. When she looked at the mysterious thing that fell on her, her jaw dropped along with her cigarette. Her eyes widened. Lying on top of her was none other than the boy who she had missed dearly...Keitaro Urashima, her beloved cousin and nephew.

She blushed, noticing the position they were in. She looked into his warm, brown eyes. He was surprised, concerned, afraid, and happy. She had a mix of emotions as well: surprise, happiness, and anger. Surprise, for seeing Keitaro again; happiness, for the same reason; and anger, for not hearing from him. She was speechless.

When recognition finally dawned upon him, his weight was off her in an instant. He started to stammer out apologies. "I-I-I'm really s-s-sorry Aunt Haruka! It was an accident, I swear!" After hearing that, as if by instinct, she pulled out a paper fan from her apron and hit him hard on the head. She finally found her voice. "Call me Haruka!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Love Hina **

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Love Hina. Love Hina and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1999-2004 Ken Akamatsu/Mixx Entertainment Inc. Love Hina is a trademark of TOKYOPOP®. All rights reserved. _

**Chapter 2**

Keitaro rubbed the back of his head gingerly and chuckled. "But you were okay with me calling you Aunty, when we were kids." Haruka let her mask drop temporarily and a small smile graced her lips. He chuckled and embraced her nephew warmly. "That's when we were kids. This time it's different."

Keitaro gladly returned her hug. He missed this feeling, to be embraced again. He hasn't received any form of affection for a long time. As he grew into a young adult, his parents seldom displayed affection for him. They were always busy working at the family confectionery store. They always pressured him to quit school and take over the family business. His persistence to pursue his dream, however, caused a strain between them. After failing the entrance exam to Tokyo U a second time...that was the straw that broke the camel's back. They had had enough, which now begot his current situation.

As the two Urashima pulled away from each other, they both felt a feeling of longing. It was the same feeling when Keitaro went away. "So, how are you Keitaro? What brings you here?" she asked curiously, pulling out another cigarette and noticing a paper fan in her hand. _Where did this come from?_

Keitaro rubbed the back of his head nervously and looked down. "I'm not doing so well. Well you see...my parents kicked me out of the house, after failing the entrance exam twice." At this, Haruka almost lost another cigarette to the ground. Her eye twitched, as anger rose within her. "They did what?! How could they do that?! I should call them and give them a piece of my mind!"

As she was about to turn around and do just that, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned about and saw her nephew, panicked and worried. "It's alright, Haruka. It's my fault for not being smarter. Please don't blame them." said a bewildered Keitaro.

He called her Haruka. He was serious. Haruka's anger subsided as she saw the pleading look in her nephew's eyes. He would always blame himself instead of others. That's what made him so admirable. He always felt responsible. She took the cigarette from her mouth and sighed. "Alright, I won't call them, but you have to tell me everything, okay?" He nodded and gave her a warm smile. She looked away slightly, a blush forming on her face. His smile would always melt her cold exterior.

"What were doing out here, anyway?" Keitaro asked. "Aren't you working at the inn?" Haruka looked at her nephew with a confused expression. "Keitaro, this is no longer an inn...it's an all-girls dormitory." She noticed the surprised and dejected look on his face. "It is?! When did this happen?" Haruka sighed. "Let's go talk inside. It's a long story. It will also be a good opportunity to catch up." She led him to the cafe and unlocked the door.

He sat down at one of the tables and waited for her, as she closed the cafe. He looked around and felt comfortable. It was simple, but had an air of calmness. It had a homey feel to it. Haruka returned with two cups of tea. He thanked her and sipped the fresh brew. It felt refreshing, as his fatigue left him. He knew the weariness of travel, and right now, he appreciated the feeling of home.

Haruka sat opposite of him, casually sipping her tea. "This is a nice place." He commented. Haruka waved it off. "It's nothing really, but thanks for the compliment." Keitaro smiled at his aunt. "You remembered my favorite type of tea." Haruka returned his smile. "Of course I remember. You would only drink it, only when I made it." This caused both of them to chuckle at the memory. "So, what has happened to the Hinata, Haruka?" She took another sip. "Like I said before, it's a long story." Keitaro nodded. "I have time to listen. It's not like I'm going anywhere." Haruka rested her chin on her palm.

"It began when Granny decided to go on a world-wide tour, a year ago." Haruka began. "A-A year ago?! A world tour?!" yelled Keitaro, disbelief evident in his voice. Haruka nodded. "You know her, she's always looking for new thrills. It runs in the family." Having said that, she smirked. She made sure her nephew refocused, before continuing on. He nodded at her, signaling that he had processed everything he heard. Now that he thought of it, he seemed to focus better when Haruka was around. He shrugged off the thought, for now, and continued to listen.

"Anyway, the inn was not making as much revenue as it did before. It's strange though, the inn has always maintained a good reputation and was quite prosperous." Continued Haruka. Keitaro nodded, as he remembered the bustling days of the inn. "Yeah, when we stayed here, years ago, it seemed very busy. You were always busying doing this and that. How did the inn start losing business?" Haruka shook her head. "Beats me, I wish I knew."

Keitaro had a thoughtful expression on his face. "So..." He hesitated. "...you mentioned something about an all-girls dorm?" She nodded, as she began to explain. "Like I said before, Granny went on a world tour. Before she did, she decided to turn her failing inn into a girls dorm." Keitaro sighed, with his head hung down. "I see. I guess I can't stay here then. It would be weird for a guy to stay at an all-girls dorm, after all." He said, with a defeated tone. This was his last hope, unfortunately, he know it was too good to be true.

This time, it was her turn to have a thoughtful expression on her face. "You're right, but you know, you could always stay with me." She looked down, as a small blush started appearing on her face. _Dammit! Why am I blushing? I'm starting to act like a schoolgirl. Get a hold of yourself, Haruka! _Keitaro quickly looked at her. "R-R-Really?!" He asked, voice full of hope and excitement. She composed herself, before replying. "Why not? I could use a hand at the cafe. I have spare rooms and you could work here to pay off your rent. Besides, didn't you mention that you were trying to pass the entrance exams to Tokyo U?"

Keitaro, meanwhile, almost didn't catch the last part of what she said, as he tried to process everything. He nodded. Haruka smirked, "Guess who graduated from Tokyo U?" His eyes widened, as he stared at his aunt in disbelief. "Y-Y-You did?!" She merely laughed at his dumbfounded expression. "I still have a few books that might help you out...also, I could help you study, when we're not busy."

He had tears streaming down his face, which caused a sweatdrop from his present company. Keitaro then did something that caught her off guard. He reached across the table and grabbed her hands in gratitude, which caused her to blush greatest volumes. He then got up and embraced her. "Th-Thank you so much! You don't know how happy you've made me! I accept, Aunt Haruka!" The next thing he knew, he was hit again by a paper fan. He didn't mind it though, he was just too happy at that moment. "Call me Haruka!" yelled the now red-faced woman. As she calmed down from both anger and embarrassment, she noticed something again. _Where did this fan come from?_

After this, the two continued to converse about their lives, since they last saw each other. Haruka talked about her years growing up at the Hinata, some of her school years, her years at Tokyo U, and how she became the house mother and landlady. Keitaro spoke of his struggles with school, his hardships growing up, and his stress over his parents. Even though they both haven't seen each other for years, they spoke as though they've been friends for a long time.

Before they knew it, night dawned upon them. She shut off the lights of the cafe and led him to her spare room. He embraced her again and thanked her for everything. She returned his embrace and relished the feeling of being able to hold him again. It seemed like forever, until they released each other and went to their separate rooms.

Keitaro put his bag down and rolled out his futon. He was tired from traveling, however, he was happy. Throughout his whole life, he was always unfortunate. It appeared that fate had finally given him a chance. As he drifted into a blissful slumber, he began to dream of a certain woman.

In the other room, Haruka stayed awake for awhile. Her thoughts were on a certain young man who walked into her life again. _What are these emotions I'm feeling? Why did I act like that today? Am I..._She shook off that thought. _No, I can't be. It would be wrong. _As she pondered about her emotions, she began to slowly drift to sleep. A rare smile could be seen on her face, as she began to dreamed of the one who was the focus of her thoughts.

Unbeknownst to the two slumbering Urashima, a fax printed out of the fax machine. On said fax, it read:

_**REAL ESTATE DEED OF OWNERSHIP **_

_**LAND AND BUILDINGS**_


	3. Chapter 3

******Love Hina **

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Love Hina. Love Hina and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1999-2004 Ken Akamatsu/Mixx Entertainment Inc. Love Hina is a trademark of TOKYOPOP®. All rights reserved. _

**Chapter 3**

The morning greeted Haruka, when the sunlight touched her eyelids. A smile still plastered on her face. She slowly rose from her futon and stretched her arms. She yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Instead of the usual grogginess she felt after waking up, she felt surprisingly refreshed. In matter of fact, she didn't remember the last time she slept that well.

After folding away her futon, she grabbed her towel and clothes. She made her way to the the bathroom and stopped, when she reached the room where her nephew currently slept in. She smiled, remembering all that had happened yesterday. He was probably tired from the trip. She decided to let him sleep.

After thoroughly scrubbing her hair and body, she rinsed off and entered the bathtub. As she bathed, her mind back drifted to Keitaro. Recently, she had been confused about many things, since he arrived...like her feelings. Last night, she dreamed of him. It wasn't that the dream was strange; the strange part was, that she hasn't had a dream for a long time. The last dream she had was of her trip with Seta and Julia.

She wondered why she offered to do so much for Keitaro. Sure, he was family and she would have helped anyway; but, it felt like a different reason. Maybe, she wanted him to stay, so he won't leave again. The empty, hollow feeling would forever haunt her. She remembered how painful it was, as she chased after the moving truck. As she was remembering, she suddenly felt a great pain surge through her head. She winced in pain, as she grabbed her head with her hands. The pain subsided, as fast as it came. She opened her eyes and looked around. She was still in the tub, breathing heavily. _What the hell was that?_

She got out of the tub and rinsed herself again. Maybe all that smoking is finally catching up with me. She dried herself off and got dressed in her usual work attire. She exited the bathroom and came face-to-face with her current guest.

She blushed at how close their faces were. Keitaro backed away and rubbed the back of his head. "Good morning." She returned his greeting, casually. "Did you sleep well?" This created a chuckle from the cafe-owner. "Shouldn't I be asking you that? And yes, I did. Did you?" It was just like him to ask about others before himself. He nodded. "Yes, I did...the best sleep I had in years, in fact. I don't remember the last time I slept this well." The truth was, that he couldn't sleep well, when he stayed with his parents. He was always stressed by his parents and the entrance exams. She smiled, for she had felt the same thing.

"Glad to hear that. I'll be downstairs, making breakfast." At that he jested. "Aunt Haruka, you can cook?" Again, a paper fan made contact with his head. "That's Haruka! And yes, I can!" They both laughed. They parted ways, to prepare themselves for the new day.

**-Earlier-**

Keitaro woke up, with a smile on his face. He stretched and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, before finding his glasses. He yawned and stretched again. I haven't slept that well in ages. He recalled his dream he had. He blushed, as the details came back to him. He shook off his thoughts and focused elsewhere. He looked around the room. It was a simple apartment room. It had a small table, a dresser, a closet, a futon, and a shelf. As he looked closer at the shelf, he couldn't help but smile. Arranged on the shelf were his favorite books. He picked up two books that he didn't recognize.

He opened the first one, a sketchbook. His eyes widened, as he flipped through the book. It contained pictures that he drew, during his stay at the Hinata Sou, fifteen years ago. He was often told that he had artistic talent, especially by Haruka. He would sometimes doodle whatever he saw, in his spare time. During breaks from class, when he wasn't daydreaming, he would sketch random things. Hence, his current sketchbook. He laughed. "I'm surprised Haruka kept this."

He flipped through the second book and smiled. It was a scrapbook like his own, except, it didn't have pictures with only him in it. It contained picture of the Urashima family, guests, and inn workers. One picture had his family, standing in front of the Hinata Sou. There was Keiji(his father), Hanako(his mother), Kanako, Haruka, and himself, with Granny Hina in the center.

Other photos displayed various guests and workers. In one photo, a family happily holding watermelons. _Is that a turtle resting on that watermelon?_ In another photo, a couple was looking over a child who was resting on a bed. The couple blocked the view of the child, though. As he continued to flip through the pages, his eyes were drawn to one particular picture. There was a girl running after a moving truck. He recognized the truck. It was the same truck his family used, when they moved away. He remembered how sad he felt, especially when he left Haruka. His heart was shattered, as the truck moved further and further away from her. He couldn't stop crying for hours. A single tear fell on the photo.

Suddenly, he dropped the scrapbook. His head erupted with great pain. He winced in pain, as he held his head with his hands. The pain was intense. It kept escalating, until it suddenly stopped. His breathing was heavy, as he looked around the room. _What was that, just now?_ When his breathing returned to normal, he noticed the messy futon and the scattered books. He placed the books back on the shelf and started to fold his futon. Maybe all the stress is getting to me. He grabbed a towel and some clothes from his bag. He then proceeded to the bathroom.

**-Present-**

As Haruka descended the stairs, her thoughts were on three things: 1) Her nephew, 2) Opening her cafe for the day, and 3)Where did a certain paper item came from. As she was making her way to the kitchen, something caught her attention. She looked at the stack of papers, lying on the fax machine. She picked up the papers and quickly read the first one. Her eyes widened and began to twitch. "N-No way..."


	4. Chapter 4

******Love Hina **

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Love Hina. Love Hina and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1999-2004 Ken Akamatsu/Mixx Entertainment Inc. Love Hina is a trademark of TOKYOPOP®. All rights reserved. _

**Chapter 4**

After bathing himself and getting dressed, Keitaro went downstairs for breakfast. When he entered the kitchen, breakfast was already laid out. The breakfast consisted of a bowl of rice, miso soup, grilled salmon, tamagoyaki, natto, boiled daikon radish, nori, and tsukemono, with green tea as beverage. Haruka was already seated, so he took a seat opposite of her. "Everything looks great!" He complimented. Haruka blushed and thanked him. "Itadakimasu!" They said, before they began to eat.

As Keitaro indulged himself to the delicious meal, he noticed that Haruka wasn't eating. She had a distant look on her face. He stopped eating, temporarily, and asked, "Are you alright?" She snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him. He looked worried. After gathering her thoughts, she told him, "I'll tell you later. Don't worry about it, just enjoy your meal." He nodded and continued his meal. _Haruka, what's wrong?_ The meal proceeded with a tense silence.

After the meal, Haruka started to wash the dishes. To her surprise, Keitaro helped her. He smiled, as they worked. "Remember when we used to do this together?" It was her turn to smile, as she recalled the memory. "Yeah. You always wanted to help me with every chore." With that, the tension was broken, as the pair conversed about their memories.

When the task was completed, Haruka led Keitaro to the cafe. As Keitaro looked around, he noticed the vacancy of the place. "Where are all the customers?" He asked. "I decided to close the cafe for today." She responded. "There's something important I have to tell you." She sighed, as she began to light a cigarette. "What is it?" he asked, curiously.

Haruka handed him a stack of papers. She studied his expression, as he read over the pages. He read it out loud, "Real Estate...Deed of Ownership?"His expression changed from curiosity to confusion, and finally to disbelief. "What?! This can't be legal!" He said in disbelief. "It's all legal. Granny said she's giving everything to you. Hinata Sou is all yours...if you become the landlord." She said calmly. She felt sorry for him. Sure, most guys would kill to live in a girls dorm; however, these were not your average girls.

For a few minutes, he was silent. He was still taking everything in. Finally, he laughed. "I'll do it. It doesn't seem that bad. Besides, Granny is relying on me. I can't let her down! Also, I wouldn't want to burden you, Aunt Haruka." Haruka's cigarette fell to the ground. In an instant, she grabbed Keitaro by the the collar. "Listen up Keitaro! Don't you ever say that again! You're not a burden to anyone, especially not to me, got it?!" Keitaro was bewildered, he never saw her get this emotional before. He gulped, out of fear. He nodded. "Y-Yeah." Their faces were inches from each other. He blushed, as he noticed this. _She looks very cute. Wait! No no no...bad thoughts! _She, then, brought him into an embrace. He returned her embrace. "I'm sorry Aunt Haruka. You've already done so much for me. I thought that this would make things easier for the both of us."

"I know. That's just how you are. You always care so much about others. I'm sorry I overreacted. I just couldn't stand hearing you say that about yourself." She said softly. She lightly bopped him on the head. "And that's Haruka to you." they both chuckled at this. They both released each other. They sat down, relishing the feeling of their embrace. "So, what are the tenants like?" asked Keitaro. Haruka dreaded this moment, for she knew where this would lead. She sighed. "Are they that bad?" he asked. She shook her head. "It's not place to say. You'll have to meet them yourself."

Keitaro stared the table, as he was contemplating his thoughts. He was shy, when meeting new people. He was having an inner battle with himself. He knew that he would have to meet them sooner or later, so why not now? He was afraid of what they might think of him, and how they would take the new of him becoming their manager. Such a thing was never heard of. It was the sort of thing that would only happen some sort of manga. Haruka saw this and rose from her seat. She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. After collecting his thoughts, he finally made a decision. "Okay, I'll go meet them." he said with slight determination. Haruka nodded.

After locking the door to the cafe, the two Urashima ascended the long flight of stone stairs. "How many tenants are there?" asked Keitaro. "There are five girls. Looking to date one?" jested Haruka. "Haruka!" Haruka laughed at his flustered face. He groaned. "You still have your sense of humor, I see." He chuckled. "Besides, I'm not looking to date anyone, at the moment. I'm still focusing on getting into Tokyo U, right now." A question tugged at her, since she heard about Tokyo U. "Why are you trying to get into Tokyo U, anyway? I know it's a prestigious school, but there are others." He was looked down. "I'll tell you later, alright?" She nodded, not wishing to pressure him.

He looked up again and turned to his aunt. "By the way, Haruka, thanks for coming with me. I don't think I could have done this alone." She waved him off. "No problem. I know you're shy, when it comes to meeting new people. Besides, you'll need me up here, for your own safety." At this, he was confused. "Safety? Are they dangerous or something?" She tried to think of the right words. "Let's just say that they're energetic. You see, they each have their own problems that they're trying to cope with. They are nice girls though. I'm here, in case they get too energetic. Also, I'm not sure they'll take this news well." Keitaro nodded, as he took in this information. He was afraid, but determined.

When they reached the top, Keitaro's eyes widened. It had been so long, since he last saw the Hinata Sou. To him, it stood as a grandiose monument of his childhood. It had a spiritual and magical feel to it.

A small smile graced Haruka's lips, as she saw Keitaro's expression. "It's quite something, isn't it." He nodded. "It doesn't look like it changed at all, but seeing it again feels..." He paused, not knowing the right word. "Magical?" Haruka suggested. He nodded. "Yeah, it still has that effect on me too, each time I come up here." After recovering from being awe-struck, Keitaro turned to Haruka. "So, shall we?" She nodded. The two family members stepped into the place that was an integral part of their childhood memories.


	5. Chapter 5

******Love Hina **

___Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Love Hina. Love Hina and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1999-2004 Ken Akamatsu/Mixx Entertainment Inc. Love Hina is a trademark of TOKYOPOP®. All rights reserved._

**Chapter 5**

When Keitaro and Haruka entered the lobby, they took off their shoes. Keitaro noticed four other pairs of shoes that were already laid out. As he looked around, he noticed that the inn had not changed, since when he stayed. If Haruka had not told him that it was a girls dorm, he would have mistaken it for an inn. It would have been quite a disaster, for he knew he would have just walked on in.

Haruka led him to the couches and motioned for him to sit. "I'll go get the girls. Stay here and relax." She knew he was still nervous. It was written all over his face. She put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, they're nice girls once you get to know them." He seemed to calm down at her words. He gave her a reassuring nod.

As Haruka disappeared into the kitchen, Keitaro was stuck in his thoughts. _What will they think of me? There's no way they'll accept me as manager. _He sighed and shook the thoughts away. _Maybe Haruka's right. I'm just worrying too much. _He prepared himself to meet the tenants. He felt more confident. He was still nervous, but to a lesser extent.

As he was waited, he was alarmed, when he heard a voice approaching. "Hey Kitsune, are you ready yet?" He turned his head to the direction of said voice. It was a girl, a bit younger than him. She had long, reddish brown hair, with two antennae-like strands sticking out from the middle of her head. She was absolutely stunning. He blushed, as he noticed that she was only wearing a towel over her body.

When she took notice of him, her eyes widened. At first she looked surprised, then she was angry. "What are you doing here?!" She asked, but he gave no response. Instead, he looked down. At that moment, she remembered her state of dress. She blushed, as a thought came to mind. _He looked at my body! Pervert! _She ran down the stairs. He got up and bowed to apologize. "I-I'm sorry!" He apologized. When he bowed, he felt something soft. His eyes widened, as he drew back. "I-I-I'm s..." Before he could finish his apology, he felt a sharp pain, as he was sent flying. "Pervert!" she yelled. She walked to him and glared at him. "Get out you pervert!"

As he slowly looked up, he noticed the eyes that were staring daggers at him. He was afraid...no, he was petrified. That punch really hurt, and this girl was something else. "I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" came his automatic reply. Before she could say anything, a voice surprised both of them. "What the hell is going on here?!" The irritated voiced belonged to no other person, except one Haruka Urashima.

**Haruka's POV**

As Haruka entered the kitchen, her mind wandered to her nephew. _I hope I'm right about this. Those girls will probably not accept him as manager. They'd probably do everything they can to throw him out. If that happens..._She shook her head. She was not going to allow that to happen to him. She cared for him. They were family. She then thought about her earlier proposal to him. If they did not allow him to stay, then she'd take care of him. She didn't want him to go away again; not while he was still within her reach. She would miss him greatly.

She was so lost in her thoughts, she did not notice her name being called. "Haruka-san? Haruka-san!" The voice came from a young girl. She had short, blue hair. She wore an apron, a sign that she had been cooking. She waved her hand in front of her housemother, but to no avail.

As she was doing this, another girl was walking that way, carrying a basket of laundry and humming gleefully to herself. She was a little older than the bluenette. She had tan skin and light-yellow hair, that was tied into a ponytail. She stopped when she saw the young cook and the housemother. "Hiya Shinobu! Watcha doin?" Shinobu looked at the foreigner with a worried expression. "Something's wrong with Haruka-san, Su. Could you please help me?" Su put down the laundry basket and quickly saluted. "Yes sir!" Shinobu sweatdropped at her. Su jumped onto Haruka. "House Mama! Will you play with me? Su wants to play!"

Haruka snapped out of thoughts, after hearing Su's voice. When she came to, she felt a familiar body on her back. "Hiya House Mama! Will you play with me now?" She shook her head and smiled a little. "Not right now, Su. I will need your help with something, though." Su smiled widely. "Yay! Su will help! She jumped off of her.

Haruka noticed Shinobu for the first time. The young girl had a worried expression on her face. "Are you okay, Haruka-san? You came to the kitchen and didn't move for awhile." Haruka nodded. "I'm alright, I was just lost in thought." Shinobu sighed in relief. "Haruka-san, did you need help with something?" Haruka nodded at the young chef. "As a matter of fact, I do. We have a guest, today. I would like all of you to greet him." Shinobu's eyes widened. Ever since she lived at the Hinata, there were never any visitors. "W-Who is the visitor?" she asked. "You will find out, when you meet him, okay?" Haruka gave her a reassuring smile. She knew that Shinobu, like her nephew, was shy when meeting new people. "O-Okay." she replied with a smile. "I need to make sure things are okay here, first." Shinobu checked the stove, making sure that the heat was set to low. She then proceeded to check on the rest of the food.

Haruka nodded, then turned to Su. "Su, will you please go get Motoko? Tell her I need help with something." Su picked up the laundry basket and saluted. "Yes ma'am, House Mama!" She sped away to her task. Haruka blinked. _Where does she get that energy?_ "I-I'm ready, Haruka-san." Shinobu said, from behind her. Haruka turned to her. "Let's wait on Su and Motoko to get here." Shinobu nodded. There was a loud thump, as the wall shook. "W-What was that?" Shinobu asked, terrified. Haruka had a feeling that she knew. She ran to the lobby, with Shinobu following behind. When they both reached the lobby, the were surprised at what they saw. The brown-haired girl was looming over the young man. Behind him, there was a small crater on the wall...a sign of his impact. Haruka was angry, no, she was furious. Keitaro was hurt. "What the hell's going on here?!" she yelled, getting attention of the two teens.

**End POV**

The brown-haired girl turned to see one angry Haruka and a frightened Shinobu. She was surprised that Hauka was here. "Housemother, I caught this pervert snooping around! He was probably waiting to to peep on us!" Haruka dropped her poker face and glared at the girl. "Naru...what did he do that was perverted?" Naru was half angry, but also half terrified. She had rarely seen Haruka get angry before. She knew the consequences though. Shinobu stayed quiet, not wanting to get in the way...especially when Haruka was angry.

She felt like prey, under Haruka's gaze. "H-He was looking at me, when I came downstairs!" Haruka's gaze was unwavering. "That doesn't explain what he did that was perverted." Naru pointed a finger at him. "He touched my breasts!" She blushed a little, as she yelled. Naru was about to retort, but her resolve fell, when her eyes met Haruka's. "Naru, did he continue to touch your breasts?" Naru looked down, avoiding the older woman's glare. "He pulled back quickly." Her head suddenly lifted, her resolve returned. "But that doesn't excuse him for doing it!"

Haruka just shook her head. She could not believe what she was hearing. She knew Naru had issues, but she didn't know it was this bad. She turned to her nephew. "Keitaro, is what she said true?" She already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it from him, anyway. Keitaro was stunned, yet again. He had never seen Haruka angry like this. When she asked him the question, he snapped out of it and answered.

He looked down. "I-I was waiting for you to return. I heard a voice coming from upstairs. When I looked up. I saw her come down. When I saw her, I noticed she was only wearing a towel...so I looked away." Naru smirked, thinking that she was right. "When she came downstairs, I got up and tried to apologize. When I did, I didn't know she was that close to me. It was my fault! I'm sorry! It was an accident!" Haruka nodded and her anger dissipated a little. She went to her nephew and offered him a hand, which he accepted gratefully. "I know Keitaro, it's not your fault. It was just a misunderstanding, however..." She turned turned to Naru. "Naru, you should not make snap judgments like that. You can't just go around hitting people, just because you think they're perverts. I know Keitaro. He's anything but perverted. Besides, I won't let you hurt my nephew."

Naru was about to argue, but was interrupted. "I'm sorry. Naru-san. I should have been more careful." He bowed sincerely. This surprised her. She sighed...her anger slightly deflated. She knew it was pointless to argue further. "It's okay." Haruka gave her another look. "Don't you have something to say too, Naru?" Naru mumbled something. "I'm sorry Naru, please speak up." She sighed. She was never good with apologies. "I'm sorry." Keitaro rubbed the back of his head and smiled at her. "It's okay." When she saw this, she blushed a little, as she felt an unusual warmth from within her. Haruka took notice of this, and an unfamiliar feeling came over her. Naru blinked a few times, as she was trying to process what Haruka just said. "D-Did you say he was your n-nephew?!" Haruka sighed. "Get dressed, Naru. It's a long story."


End file.
